Messaging/Collaboration ServicesMessaging/Collaboration Services

The Duke Experience The Duke Experience

Michael PickettMichael Pickett

September 21, 2004September 21, 2004

DukeMail (Cyrus based)DukeMail (Cyrus based)

35,000 active users (20,000 staff, 35,000 active users (20,000 staff, 5,000 faculty, 10,000 students)5,000 faculty, 10,000 students)

~4000 simultaneous connections~4000 simultaneous connections 700k to 1.2 million emails / day700k to 1.2 million emails / day 3 tb storage (1.5 mirrored)3 tb storage (1.5 mirrored) 300K-500K / day tagged as spam300K-500K / day tagged as spam 10K / day deleted as viral10K / day deleted as viral IMP webmail IMP webmail

Lotus Notes – mostly med Lotus Notes – mostly med school and health systemschool and health system 21,000 active users21,000 active users 3 tb (1.5 mirrored)3 tb (1.5 mirrored) Email and CalendarEmail and Calendar

Many schools/have their Many schools/have their own email servers.own email servers.

Arts and Science mixed use (CS, Arts and Science mixed use (CS, Sociology, Physics, Statistics)Sociology, Physics, Statistics)

EngineeringEngineering LawLaw Medicine & Nursing (Health System Medicine & Nursing (Health System

Lotus Notes )Lotus Notes )

Schools using DukeMail Schools using DukeMail exclusivelyexclusively

FuquaFuqua Nicholas School of the EnvironmentNicholas School of the Environment DivinityDivinity

Drivers for running a local Drivers for running a local email server:email server:

control, quota/message control, quota/message space, security, spam/virus space, security, spam/virus checking, speed, reliability, checking, speed, reliability, vanity naming, job securityvanity naming, job security

From Sociology web page From Sociology web page on email:on email:

““In general, most prefer to use the In general, most prefer to use the Sociology mail system. It is more Sociology mail system. It is more responsive and reliable than the responsive and reliable than the university system, supports university system, supports higher quotas on mailbox size higher quotas on mailbox size and mail folders, and indicates a and mail folders, and indicates a distinctive affiliation with better distinctive affiliation with better choices for userids.”choices for userids.”

From Engineering web From Engineering web page:page:

"The MEMS file and email server (ME1) "The MEMS file and email server (ME1) suffered a catastrophic hardware failure suffered a catastrophic hardware failure on the hard drive storing all user data. on the hard drive storing all user data. The hard drive has been replaced and The hard drive has been replaced and data is being restored from backup. We data is being restored from backup. We expect the system to be back up by expect the system to be back up by midnight tonight. Any data/email stored midnight tonight. Any data/email stored after approx midnight July 20th will NOT after approx midnight July 20th will NOT be recoverable since the last backup was be recoverable since the last backup was completed approximately 3 days ago.”completed approximately 3 days ago.”

From an OIT post to the From an OIT post to the Duke computing list:Duke computing list:

“During yesterday's CLAC meeting when we were discussing the problems with the imap.duke.edu server, the following error was reported in our logs:

Sep 9 15:54:38 gallun.acpub.duke.edu ufs: [ID 879645 kern.notice] NOTICE: /var/imap/data/vol004: unexpected free inode 1107299, run fsck(1M) -o f”

Email SpecificationsEmail Specifications

DukeMail spec group - design an DukeMail spec group - design an enterprise email service with sufficient enterprise email service with sufficient features and process to eliminate the features and process to eliminate the obstacles many units feel prevent them obstacles many units feel prevent them from being able to use an enterprise from being able to use an enterprise email system. See: email system. See: www.duke.edu/~picke001/ITAC/DukeMail_www.duke.edu/~picke001/ITAC/DukeMail_v1.01.htmlv1.01.html

Review by ITACReview by ITAC Given to tech teamGiven to tech team

Planning Group Planning Group ParticipantsParticipants

EngineeringEngineering LibraryLibrary OIT SystemsOIT Systems OIT SecurityOIT Security Fuqua School of BusinessFuqua School of Business Law SchoolLaw School Arts and SciencesArts and Sciences Computer SciencesComputer Sciences School of the EnvironmentSchool of the Environment Student AffairsStudent Affairs

Requirements of the Requirements of the Duke Enterprise Email Duke Enterprise Email

SystemSystem ResponsivenessResponsiveness Reliability Reliability Quotas and CapacityQuotas and Capacity Security and PrivacySecurity and Privacy Recoverability and Archiving Recoverability and Archiving

CharacteristicsCharacteristics Integration and interoperability with Integration and interoperability with

other systems and services (e.g. portal, other systems and services (e.g. portal, calendaring)calendaring)

Requirements of the Duke Requirements of the Duke Enterprise Email System Enterprise Email System

(cont)(cont) Features Required for “Supported Features Required for “Supported

Clients”Clients” Aliases and AddressingAliases and Addressing Responsibility and processes for Responsibility and processes for

keeping the system usefulkeeping the system useful Spam and Virus CheckingSpam and Virus Checking Review and Update ProcessReview and Update Process

Group Email PolicyGroup Email Policy

ITAC subcommitteeITAC subcommittee Policy by ITAC steeringPolicy by ITAC steering ITAC reviewITAC review Senior officers policy issuedSenior officers policy issued The larger the group, the higher the The larger the group, the higher the

authority needed to emailauthority needed to email

CalendaringCalendaring

Event Event GroupGroup Individual (e.g. student)Individual (e.g. student) Resource schedulingResource scheduling

Event CalendaringEvent Calendaring 2002-2003 - Many different event calendars2002-2003 - Many different event calendars ““University” event calendar unsatisfactory and University” event calendar unsatisfactory and

unusedunused No standards-based interoperable event calendars No standards-based interoperable event calendars Feedback sought on functionality needed (News, Feedback sought on functionality needed (News,

Student Services, etc)Student Services, etc) Interim event calendar - Lotus Domino basedInterim event calendar - Lotus Domino based 2003-2004 – Much unhappiness with functionality – 2003-2004 – Much unhappiness with functionality –

enhancements requestedenhancements requested 2004 Enhancements to “interim” completed2004 Enhancements to “interim” completed 2004 Push to select replacement begins – WebEvent 2004 Push to select replacement begins – WebEvent

and Oracle reviewedand Oracle reviewed

Group CalendaringGroup Calendaring

““A full-featured, widely-used, A full-featured, widely-used, standards based, interoperable standards based, interoperable group calendar is always 18 months group calendar is always 18 months away”away”

Divergent calendaring efforts Divergent calendaring efforts (Health System, Admin, A&S, (Health System, Admin, A&S, Engineering, Fuqua, Law)Engineering, Fuqua, Law)

Calendar Explorations and Calendar Explorations and Specifications MeetingSpecifications Meeting

Calendar Review ProcessCalendar Review Process Goal: identify interim (18 mo) solution for Goal: identify interim (18 mo) solution for

departments see: departments see: www.duke.edu/~picke001/ITAC/calendar_forum_2www.duke.edu/~picke001/ITAC/calendar_forum_2003.html 003.html

Review teamReview team Vendor shootout: Meeting Maker, Oracle Vendor shootout: Meeting Maker, Oracle

Calendaring, Sun Calendaring, Microsoft, Calendaring, Sun Calendaring, Microsoft, GroupwiseGroupwise

Finalists: Meeting Maker & Oracle CalendaringFinalists: Meeting Maker & Oracle Calendaring Last second issues Last second issues

Meeting Maker acquires WebEvent - CEO SoftwareMeeting Maker acquires WebEvent - CEO Software Oracle calls for input into event calendar designOracle calls for input into event calendar design

Event calendar process vs group calendar processEvent calendar process vs group calendar process

Calendar Decision Calendar Decision ProcessProcess

Charter/ground rulesCharter/ground rules Requirements firstRequirements first Final decision by VPIT/CIOFinal decision by VPIT/CIO Stay with interim solution till Stay with interim solution till

interoperable solution is likelyinteroperable solution is likely

Final group/personal Final group/personal calendar criteriacalendar criteria

Ease of useEase of use Richness in functionality Richness in functionality

Administrative assistantsAdministrative assistants StaffStaff FacultyFaculty StudentsStudents OrganizationsOrganizations

Technical integration/fitTechnical integration/fit Standards commitment/compliance Standards commitment/compliance Cost Cost Stability and strategic direction of vendorStability and strategic direction of vendor

Detailed Requirements Detailed Requirements Participants (staff, students, Participants (staff, students,

faculty)faculty) Undergraduate and Graduate Students and OrganizationsUndergraduate and Graduate Students and Organizations Duke Student UnionDuke Student Union Office of Student Activities and FacilitiesOffice of Student Activities and Facilities Career CenterCareer Center News and CommunicationNews and Communication Athletic officeAthletic office President’s officePresident’s office Human ResourcesHuman Resources Duke ChapelDuke Chapel Duke PerformancesDuke Performances Registrar’s OfficeRegistrar’s Office Law SchoolLaw School Fuqua School of BusinessFuqua School of Business Medical SchoolMedical School

Process - Focus groups Process - Focus groups

RequirementsRequirements How do you use calendars?How do you use calendars? What are the functionalities you need?What are the functionalities you need? How well does Meeting Maker/Oracle How well does Meeting Maker/Oracle

meet your needsmeet your needs Unscripted looking aroundUnscripted looking around Scripted tasksScripted tasks FeedbackFeedback

Other collaborative tools Other collaborative tools that are usedthat are used

HandheldsHandhelds WikisWikis BlogsBlogs WebForums (portal, Phpbb, Infopop, Yabb)WebForums (portal, Phpbb, Infopop, Yabb) WorkflowWorkflow IRC/chat – mostly AOL IM – some Yahoo, IRC/chat – mostly AOL IM – some Yahoo,

Jabber, ZepherJabber, Zepher Lists (Majordomo, Listproc, Listserv, Lists (Majordomo, Listproc, Listserv,

Mailman)Mailman) Usenet (duke.computing – no posts for 2 Usenet (duke.computing – no posts for 2

years)years)